I thought PrairieMod readers would enjoy seeing a book plate designed for the library of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Rayward-Shepherd House (aka "Tirranna") that was in a book I recently picked up. I believe it depicts the entry gate from the house in graphic style. Anyone else have a Wright-related book plate to share?
Image via PrairieMod
Please join author Kim Bixler for a free multi-media presentation at the Unity Temple on Friday, May 17th at 6:30pm where she will share her stories of living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. More after the jump...
Adam Grant, author of the book Give and Take, recently wrote a piece for the Huffington Post about how power can reveal or amplify the true nature of a person. His example is Frank Lloyd Wright, who he characterizes as a natural "Taker," whose tendencies became more apparent when he received fame and power. Read more here.
Image via Amazon.com
Andrew S. was kind enough to share some really great WPA-era covers for various Chicago Park District booklets he's been collecting recently. Check out all the covers after the jump...
Continue reading "Chicago Park District's Moderne Publications" »
Ron McCrea, author of Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright's Home of Love and Loss (Paperback: $35.00, ISBN: 978-0-87020-606-1) will discuss the creation of Wright's original Taliesin I in Spring Green, Wis., during a special online Webinar event at 11 a.m. (Central Standard Time, U.S.) Saturday, April 6, 2013 cosponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. More after the jump...
Continue reading "Discuss "Building Taliesin" Live In April 6 Webinar" »
I had an exciting find this weekend at a local antique shop: a rare copy of the only biography written about Prairie School architect, Harry Franklin Robinson. The book, titled The Life And Work of Harry Franklin Robinson 1883-1959, was written by Robinson's eldest grandson, James Alexander Robinson, and published in 1989. The book is full of fantastic information based on research and interviews with original clients about this under-appreciated architect. In addition to detailing Robinson's experiences working for Frank Lloyd Wright (twice) and Walter Burley Griffin, there are a plethora of beautiful illustrations of Robinson's renderings (several that were apparently the basis for plates in Wright's iconic Wasmuth Portfolio) and architectural work. Enjoy just a small sampling of what this book contains in the scans pictured after the jump...
Continue reading "The Life And Work Of Harry Franklin Robinson" »
Architect Colin E. Slais recently sent some snaps of a book cover he came across on fashion designer Diana Vreeland that boldly features images of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Pauson House prior to its loss by fire. It's amazing where Wright turns up--good eyes, Colin!
Image via Colin E. Slais
John A. sends word of a new book titled Redux: The Arts and Crafts Revival, 1972-2012 about the history of the Movement's modern day renaissance that was released at this year's Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference. Find out more here.
Image via Amazon.com
The sad news of the recent passing of Taliesin Fellow (1951-1953) Earl Nisbet reaches us from Kevin Wagner. Earl was a very good friend of PrairieMod and we will miss him dearly. To learn more about the remarkable work and life of Mr. Nisbet, then be sure to check out his architectural biography, Taliesin Reflections: My Years Before, During and After Living with Frank Lloyd Wright. Thanks for everything Earl, you will be missed.
Image via earlnisbet.com
Lynn Becker recently visited the ArchiTech Gallery in Chicago and was treated to a preview of the eagerly anticipated monograph coming next year on Alfonso Iannelli (designed by your PrairieMod editor!) I know it seems like it's taking forever, but let Lynn tell you--it'll be worth the wait. Obviously, as we get closer to publication I'll let readers know more details!
Image credit: Lynn Becker
Randy H. sent a link to an interesting new Frank Lloyd Wright-related book by author Kim Bixler about her experiences growing up in the Wright-designed Boynton House in Rochester, NY. Find out more about it and order your copy here.
Image via kimbixler.com
If you're still searching for the that perfect gift for the architecture lover on your list, then one I would highly suggest is the new book, Frank Lloyd Wright: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original written by Alan Hess and with photography by Alan Weintraub (published by Rizzoli). More after the jump...
If you missed this last Saturday's event at SC Johnson where author Ron McCrea spoke about his new book Building Taliesin, then be sure to check out the blog Wright in Racine to see photos from the lecture.
Make sure to sign-up as a member of Wright in Wisconsin to keep up with future events like this!
Image copyright Mark Hertzberg
Mark Hertzberg sends word that Wright in Wisconsin in partnership with SC Johnson invite you to hear Ron McCrea talk about his new book, Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright's Home of Love and Loss on Saturday, December 15, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. until noon. A book signing will follow.
In addition, pre and post talk tours of the SC Johnson Administration building, Fortaleza Hall and the SC Johnson Gallery are available. This is a free event but pre-registration is appreciated. Visit the SCJ website and schedule your free tour.
Image via wisconsinhistory.org
Paul R. sends a link to an article on a new book by Caroline Rob Zaleski called Long Island Modernism 1930-1980, which documents the area's significant
modern buildings designed by 25 architects.
The book is part of a larger project in which more than 500 buildings by 78 architects were surveyed for the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities. Find out more here.
Image via houzz.com
Fresh off his recent trip to Mason City, IA for the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Conference, architect and author Ranolph C. Henning sent info on a new book about the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Park Inn Hotel that he thought PrairieMod readers would want to know about. More after the jump...
The Chicago Tribune's Christopher Borrelli recently featured graphic artist and Oak Parker, Chris Ware, who has a new book out in a few weeks called Building Stories. Read more here and check out a sneak peek at the book here.
Image via chicagotribune.com
A recent article on author Ron McCrea and his new book, Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home of Love and Loss, reveals how someone's poor spelling of "Taliesin" led the seasoned journalist to a gold mine of rare Frank Lloyd Wright-related photos. Read more here.
Image via Wisconsin Historical Society Press
The New York TImes Review of Books recently covered the new work by French architectural historian and architect Jean-Louis Cohen titled Architecture in Uniform: Designing and Building for the Second World War. The book argues that it wasn't Utopian dreams or social causes that brought out the full potential of Modern architecture--but rather the technologies of destruction perfected during World War II. Read more here.
Image via nybooks.com
Isthmus.com recently reviewed Ron McCrea's new book, Building Taliesin, about the creation of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin. Read it here. Thanks to Mark H. for sending the link.
Image via Wisconsin Historical Society Press
Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, recently featured an interview with Donna Grant Riley, whose parents built the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Grant House near Cedar Rapids, IA. She discusses what it was like for her parents to collaborate with Mr. Wright and her experience growing up in a work of art. Read the article here and make sure to get a copy of Donna's book on the Grant House here.
Image credit: Alan Weintraub
Architect, historian, and author, Alan Hess, recently reviewed a trio of books on the topic of California Modernism for the Los Angeles Review of Books. The books reviewed include, Architecture of the Sun : Los Angeles Modernism 1900-1970 by Thomas S. Hines, Sympathetic Seeing: Esther McCoy and the Heart of America by Kimberli Meyer and Susan Morgan, and Living in a Modern Way : California Design 1930-1965 by Wendy Kaplan. Read the reviews here.
Image via LA Review of Books
The blog, io9.com, provides a sneak peek at some pages from the new Batman graphic novel by publishing design guru and Bat-fan, Chip Kidd.
Taking artistic cues from Metropolis by Fritz Lang and renderings by architect Hugh Ferriss, Kidd spins his yarn around the architectural side of Gotham City and features classic and new villains, plus Bruce Wayne as chairman of the Gotham Landmarks Commission. Read and see more here.
Image via io9.com
Butch Kmet, who lives in a Taylor Woolley-designed house in Salt Lake City (who trained and worked for Frank Lloyd Wright, specifically on Taliesin & the Wasmuth Portfolio) sent word about a new book he thought PrairieMod readers would appreciate.
Ron McCrea's Building Taliesin: Frank Lloyd Wright's Home of Love and Loss will be released from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press in June 2012 and it looks like it's going to be a fantastic look at Wright's autobiography in wood and stone. In addition to helping to provide Ron data about Taylor Woolley for his book, Butch also contributes photos to the Prairie School Traveler website (if you're not familiar, check it out and prepare to lose a few hours!)
Thanks for the head's-up on the book, Butch. We'll be sure to review it when it releases!
Image via Amazon.com
Work is furiously underway on the Alfonso Iannelli monograph, scheduled to be released later this fall. If you have any Iannelli-related art, photos, letters, posters, and so on, then please contact me via email at eric@prairiemod.com.
We want to make sure we leave no stone unturned as we put this landmark book together!
Image via PrairieMod
Two new Frank Lloyd Wright-related books will be released later this year that will interest PrairieMod readers. The first is titled Taliesin Diary: A Year with Frank Lloyd Wright by Priscilla J. Henken and Sarah Leavitt and the other, Frank Lloyd Wright: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original, is the next in the popular series from Alan Hess and Alan Weintraub. Follow the links above to learn more and reserve your copy.
Images via Amazon.com
Anyone with more than a passing familiarity with Frank Lloyd Wright knows that he was an avid collector of Japanese woodblock prints—counting them as one of the few influences on his work (that he actually admitted to). But until I read Dr. Anthony Alofsin's newest book, Frank Lloyd Wright, Art Collector published by the University of Texas Press, I had no idea that he also collected several turn-of-the-last-century Secessionist woodblock prints that reveal another important influence. Read more after the jump...
Continue reading "Book Review: Frank Lloyd Wright, Art Collector" »
Who do you think of when I describe the following architect: He rejected the staid values of the Victorian era; utilized huge pitched roofs, horizontal bands of windows and natural materials in his architecture; was consumed with designing every aspect of his houses including textiles, cabinetry, and furniture; was a master designer who created stunning works of pattern, color and form; loved nature and went to it constantly for inspiration; and above all was a fierce individualist who stubbornly followed his own path. Likely, as a reader of this blog, your first instinct might be to say "Frank Lloyd Wright." But, in this instance, I was actually describing a British architect working out his individualistic theories of architecture and design years ahead of Wright: C.F.A. Voysey.
Surprised? I was too. But thanks to the recently published book C.F.A. Voysey: Architect, Designer, Individualist by Anne Stewart O'Donnell and published by Pomegranate, I was able to explore the world of this fascinating and early Modernist. More after the jump...
Continue reading "Book Review: C. F. A. Voysey: Architect, Designer, Individualist" »
There's a new book out from the University of Texas Press exploring the amazing Organic Architecture of Hank Schubart. Read a review here and more on the book here.
Image via utexas.edu
Elbert Hubbard and the Roycrofters are familiar subjects for many American Arts & Crafts enthusiasts. The various printed items, metal pieces, furniture, tooled leather objects and other handicrafts produced at the East Aurora, New York artistic enclave have been the subject of a host of books, exhibits and studies over the years. Yet, one area that has received scant attention is the topic of graphic design and the important role it played making the Roycroft experiment a success. A new book by Lawrence Kreisman and published by Pomegranate titled Dard Hunter: The Graphic Works seeks to shine a spotlight on the life and work of the finest graphic designer to come out of the Roycrofters. More after the jump...
Continue reading "Book Review: Dard Hunter, The Graphic Works" »
Just a reminder to PrairieMod readers: a couple weeks ago I put out a call for artwork, photos, letters, and other related items associated with the Iannelli Studios.
I'm currently working on the design of a new book project: the first comprehensive monograph on Alfonso Iannelli and the Iannelli Studios that is slated to be published later this year.
To make the book a success (both for content and visually) I'm reaching out to PrairieMod readers to see if anyone has Iannelli-related photos, drawings, artwork, letters, etc. that they'd be willing to share hi-res images of for possible inclusion in the book.
Thanks to those that have responded already! I've gotten some great leads already and some generous offers.
If you have such items, please contact me at eric@prairiemod.com and I'll be happy to discuss the project and your Iannelli items with you in more detail.
Image via PrairieMod
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